Get Well Soon
by echaryn
Summary: Luffy is ill and Sabo is all mother-hen mode. After all, he has to take care of him, right?


**This is a (late) cheer-up fic for samettikettu :'D I'm so sorry it's late again xx**

 **The story is basically just cute and fluffy.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **I don't own One Piece nor any of the characters.**

* * *

 **Sabo**

Well, he isn't a chef or anything, has never participated in a cooking class, but he has to admit his cooking has improved so much, he's convinced he could start working in a 5-star-restaurant if he wanted to. Maybe write a cook book. Get his own show on TV. Something like that, definitely.

No, really, being able to satisfy both Ace and Luffy's incredible appetite isn't only a skill he's perfected over the years – it's more like a gift, because boy, these two are vicious eaters. Horrible in the kitchen, but they can eat like there is no tomorrow. They'd eat a T-Rex in one go if dinosaurs weren't extinct already.

So Sabo prides himself with the fact that Ace and Luffy praise his food at any given moment, even when they are invited to a friend's house ("Nami, your pancakes are really not as good as Sabo's, you know…") and his two flatmates and best friends rely completely on him to look out for their diet.

So obviously, Sabo makes sure to only make the best dishes, healthy, low in fat, full of vitamins and nutrients. And yeah, Ace and Luffy haven't been ill in a long time.

Ace is away on a trip with his friends Marco and Thatch, so Sabo and Luffy will be alone in their flat for the rest of the week and the weekend. That's alright – they haven't planned anything big, they will probably just laze around and watch movies or so. Probably put silly comments under the photos Ace posts on his social media, simply to make them jealous, but actually just saying "Wish you guys were here with me" because the guy is the biggest sap ever.

Sabo takes one last spoon full from the Bolognese and tastes it – yup, this is perfect. The fleshy meatballs are just the right amount of spicy and the pasta is al dente, ready to be eaten, or rather devoured.

"Luffy! Lunch is ready!" he calls down the hallway to were Luffy's room is.

He expects to hear the hurried scrambling on his carpet, maybe how his PlayStation controller is thrown to the ground and excited steps down the hall, but…nothing. Not a sound comes from the younger guy's room and Sabo frowns.

"Luffy?" he calls again.

But he would know if Luffy had gone out, the boy usually tells him before he goes somewhere… How odd…

Sabo turns the stove off, before he goes to knock on Luffy's closed door.

"Luffy? Lunch is ready, you coming?" he says again.

Again, no answer, and Sabo frowns deeper, worry starting to tighten his stomach. He knocks again, harder this time.

"Luffy, can I come inside? Are you alright?"

"I…Sabo…," comes a weak reply and Sabo's eyes widen with disbelief and shock and he rips the door open to practically jump over his friend's crap to kneel down next to the bed.

Luffy is wrapped in his blankets, his face buried in his pillows. He isn't moving, only the shallow rise and fall of the many layers of covers tells Sabo that he's breathing and he carefully lays a hand on top of the cocoon of blankets Luffy has nearly disappeared in.

"Luffy, are you awake? Are you ok?" Sabo whispers and Luffy moves slightly.

"Hnng…"

"Luffy? C'mon, talk to me, are you not feeling well?" Sabo asks worried and finally, Luffy turns around, sluggishly, and now Sabo can see Luffy's reddish nose and swollen eyes.

Sabo's heart does a painful leap.

"Shabo…tissue?" Luffy says and his nose is so obviously clogged he almost sounds funny.

Sabo immediately reaches into the pocket of his cardigan (his friends always joke about him being a parent-sort-of-friend, with plasters and tissues always within reach) and he pulls out a pack. He pulls one fresh tissue out and gently closes Luffy's hot, dry fingers around it so he can clean his nose.

"Thirsty…throat…hurts…," Luffy mumbles and Sabo immediately scrambles back to his feet. He doesn't even notice how much his hands are shaking with biting worry and fear.

He forces himself to breathe calmly.

Luffy has a bad cold, but Sabo knows how to deal with that. Soup and tea first, prepare a hot water bottle, then let him rest, he will go the pharmacy in the meantime, he'll get nose drops, pain killers, vicks vaporub and what not and then he'll stay here the evening and look out for him. In a few days, he'll be fine again.

A-and if not….he'll take him to the hospital…

"I-I'll be right back," Sabo says with his voice unusually high and then he practically dashes out of Luffy's room, only to seconds later reappear with all the medicine he could find, a mountain of tissues, in the kitchen the kettle is already heating up water for the hot water bottle and some broth and _oh my god what if I'm doing it all wrong…?!_

 _Ace, where the hell are you when we need you?!_

"Here you go, drink this…," Sabo mutters and kneels back down in front of Luffy's bed. He gently urges the younger to hold the glass and Luffy greedily drinks it all in one go, only to start a horrible coughing fit that sounds like he the languid barking of an old dog.

"Not so fast… ok, I'll prepare you a hot water bottle and some broth…is there anything else I can get you?"

"Mng….dunno…," Luffy replies and blinks at him with swollen, reddish eyes. His nose is red and dripping.

 _Poor baby…_

"Alright, then I'll go out afterwards and buy more medication and stuff, and you stay and take a good rest…"

"Shabo….feel….shit…," Luffy mumbles, pulling up his nose loudly and Sabo wordlessly hands him another tissue.

"I know, you got a bad cold… Ok, do you think you can stay on your own for 30 minutes? Or shall I stay here?"

Luffy just shrugs, blowing his nose. He looks so pitiful and ill and red-nosed that Sabo's heart clenches in his chest. He hates seeing Ace and Luffy ill, he always makes sure they eat properly, they always put on their coats, they always dry their hair properly, they always wrap a scarf around their necks – but no, Luffy has managed to catch a cold and the worry chews away at Sabo's stomach.

He just really, really wants Luffy to be well again…

"Hm? Luffy?"

"Ok…be…ok," Luffy mumbles, closing his eyes tiredly. Sabo takes the empty glass and puts a hand to the boy's sweaty forehead. He's...really warm… Sabo frowns, standing up.

"I'll be right back and get the thermometer."

As expected. The boy already has a slight fever. He bites his lower lip. Hopefully it won't rise...

When Sabo goes to place the tea and the broth on Luffy's night stand, the boy is already fast asleep. He's breathing is shallow, somewhat whistling and laboured, and Sabo is sure Luffy will have a burning, sore throat when he wakes up. He feels Luffy's forehead again, before he gently strokes his hot cheek. Poor Luffy. It's been so long since he's been ill… Sabo tries hard not to blame himself, but shit, he's the one responsible for keeping is dearest friends healthy, and as now evident, he's failed horribly.

He runs his fingers through his hair and then pulls at the wavy strands of blond. Damn himself… He grits his teeth and then storms out into the hallway to slip some shoes on, grabs keys, car keys and his wallet.

"Crap…," he mutters and then he flies out the door.

 **Luffy**

"Sab…bo?" he whispers hoarsely later, as he wakes up. No answer. He slowly sits up, the blankets falling from around him into a pile in his lap. The room is dark; it starts spinning and his painfully growling stomach reminds him just how little food he's had today.

"Sabo?" Luffy calls out and he starts coughing so hard tears form in his eyes as he reaches for the cold tea on his night stand. Where is Sabo….? Sabo should be here, taking care of him…

And the weak side of him, encouraged by his hungry stomach and running nose, makes even thicker tears blur his sight as he hears absolutely nothing, not a single sound in the whole flat, it's just silent and so, so cold and Luffy bites his lower lip only to taste blood from a cut in the dry skin that starts to peel off.

"Sabo?" he calls out again.

No reply and an ugly feeling starts pooling in his stomach as he hugs his plush dragon and his blanket and swings his weak legs out of bed.

The room is spinning even worse as he starts walking and god he's never felt this weak before, it's like all strength has left his legs, like they were made out of rubber…

"Where…Sabo…?" Luffy mumbles, his eyes still blurred and he stumbles into the living room, clutching the plush dragon like a life line. He' so hungry, dark spots dance in front of his eyes and he feels sluggish, too-hot, he's drenched with sweat and at the same time he's shivering.

"Sabo…"

Luffy drops to the fluffy carpet, the room is spinning so much he feels he's on a ship on a stormy ocean or in the freaking outer space, he doesn't even know and he sure as hell doesn't care anymore as he curls into a ball and closes his eyes tightly.

Where is Sabo…? He should be here and taking care of him…

"-fy! Luffy! Oh my god, please wake up, please!" he hears a familiar voice shouting and someone is shaking his shoulder.

"Luffy, c'mon, look at me!" and Luffy frowns, opening his eyes, clotted with dried tears, and he sees Sabo's blurry face in front of him.

"Sa…bo…," he mutters and his lungs rebell viciously, trapping him in a violent coughing fit that drains him of any remaining energy.

"I'm so so sorry I took so long, I was stuck in traffic and then there was an accident right in front of me and I had to wait for the police – I'm so sorry, I tried to call you and text you, but you never replied, oh my god, I got so scared," Sabo keeps babbling as he pulls Luffy into a gentle hug.

The coughing subsides and Luffy buries his face in Sabo's shoulder. He smells like cold wind and outside. And wow, his heart is beating really…really fast…

Luffy sneezes, before he looks up in Sabo's face and is Luffy only imagining things or does Sabo look…scared…?

"I was so worried," Sabo whispers, and he lifts a hand to brush Luffy's hair out of his forehead to feel his temperature again. Luffy closes his eyes as he feels Sabo's cooling fingers on his hot skin. He sighs. Sabo's gentle touch makes him forget about his aching, rebelling body.

"…You were gone when I woke up…"

"I know, I'm so sorry, the accident… But I'm here now, I got everything, and I won't leave till you feel ok again, I promise…Shit, you scared the hell out of me when I found you on the carpet…"

Luffy presses the plush dragon to his chest and his free arm wanders around Sabo's shoulder to claw his sweaty fingers into his coat. Sabo needs…needs to stay here with Luffy…and take care…and look after Luffy…

He can hear Sabo's soft sigh and then a tap on his back.

"Can you stand up? You sit down here on the sofa and I'll make you some tea and chicken noodle soup to warm you up. Is that ok? Or anything else?"

"Hmmm…ok," Luffy just whispers hoarsely and with Sabo's help he slumps down on the big sofa. Well at least he doesn't feel dizzy anymore, only…weak. Very, very weak.

Sabo stands up again and disappears in the kitchen and Luffy frowns, but in no time, Sabo is back with a mug full of tea. He puts the steaming mug onto the living room table and then sits down next to Luffy's head. He places his hand over Luffy's eyes and Luffy sighs in the soothing darkness.

"Are you hungry?" he can hear the older man ask softly.

"Dunno…," he replies, blindly tapping Sabo's leg and his friend understands and hands him a tissue.

"Luffy, I think your fever has gone up."

"Really?" Luffy asks and lets the used tissue fall to the ground.

"I think we should go to the hospital."

"No! No, I wanna stay home!" Luffy shouts hoarsely and throws his hands up to catch Sabo's arm. "Please, I wanna stay home, I don't wanna go to the hospital!" he cries and tears well up again.

"Shhh, ok, ok, understood. But if your fever doesn't go down by tomorrow we'll go," Sabo sighs and gently caresses Luffy's cheeks.

"Hmmm…ok…"

"Are you hungry? You haven't had anything the entire day."

"Dunno…weird," Luffy says with a shrug and then looks up again in Sabo's worried face.

"You mean hungry but no appetite?

"Yeah…"

Sabo frowns and sighs deeply. "I bet you don't only have a cold, you got the flu…"

"I don't wanna go to the hospital!"

"I know, shhh, it's ok. Listen, I'll make you some soup and you promise me you'll eat it, ok?"

"Meh…"

"C'mon, you need to eat something. I'll be back in a few minutes."

And with that, Sabo leaves him again, and Luffy feels not only weak...but also strangely lonely.

 _Does Sabo know that...?_

 _That I don't want to be alone..._

 **Sabo**

And the evening and night continue like that, Sabo taking care of Luffy in the most touching way and Luffy being a whiny little baby bird stuck on the sofa, underneath his blankets and with his dragon snuggled to his side.

More often than not, Luffy just falls asleep from exhaustion, but usually it's only for like 30 minutes or less and then he's awake again, only to find Sabo still sitting next to him, reading a book and watching out that the damp cloth he put on Luffy's forehead doesn't fall down.

Sabo doesn't care it is past 3am when Luffy has finally fallen into a deep slumber. He's snoring loudly, since his nose is still clogged, but his temperature has gone down, Sabo thinks. Argh damn…

He carefully carries the younger into his bedroom, tugging him back under his duvet.

Stupid little monkey. Getting that ill and he, Sabo, is the one who is all worried and worked up over it… He lets out a deep sigh, rubbing his eyes. This has been a looooong day… And _good Lord_ , he thinks he's never been this scared in his entire life, than when he found Luffy curled up on the carpet, all sweaty and shivering and weak.

Tomorrow... he'll definitely make sure Luffy doesn't wake up alone. Sabo will be there, taking care of him from the second he opens his eyes.

And with that, he slips under the covers right beside him. And maybe it's just his imagination, but he thinks he can see Luffy smile in his sleep and dry, hot hands come to rest against his own as he drifts off into the world of dreams...

And this continues for another four or five days, until Ace returns from his trip, only to find Sabo pale and sick in bed and Luffy, all bubbly and lively, jumping through the flat, rose-cheeked and wild as usual.

"Holy crap, Sabo, you look like shit," Ace greets his flatmate with a laugh.

"…Get out," Sabo growls.

He'll definitely never, _ever_ sleep next to a sick person again.

* * *

 **The End.  
**

 **Thank you for reading.**


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